Spring-wheel.



G. DORFFEL.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED 813F114, 1910.

1,035,556. Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

ismmmlllmlllm ATTORNEYS vE s'r rEs PATENT onion.

GEORGE DORFFEL, F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

SPRING-WHEEL.

To all whom z'tjmay concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE Donrrnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Spring-VVheel, of which the 1 following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionl My invention relates to spring wheels, my more particular purpose'being to provide a strong and durable construction ofi'ermg a minimum of friction and having few pieces liable to get outof order.

My invention further relates to various details of wheel construction adapted for improving the general eificiency of wheels of this character.

Reference is to,be had to the accompany ing drawings forming a part of this specificatiori', in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, showing the wheel complete; Fig.2 is a fragmentary section on the line, 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3 is a sectionon the line 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. '1 is a detail showing in fragmentary elevation a part of the hub frame; and Fig. 5. is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 5 of Fig. 1.

My improved spring wheel is of the general type employing two elements, one movable relatively to the other, and one of these elements comprising a hub and a bearing ring rigid relatively to each other and spaced concentrically apart; the other element comprising two annular members concentric to each other and also spaced apart and acting as a unit, and spring connections of various kinds from one of these elements to the other.

At 6 is an annular member having generally the oflice of a folly. It'carries upon-its outer peripheral surface a rim 7 which is connected with the annular member 6 by aid of bolts 8 having wide flat heads 9 and extending through the center of the rim and fellv.

lit 10 is a tire made preferably of rubber and provided with two annular passages 11, being thus practically a double-cushioned tire. Y

The felly 6 is provided with a number of buttons 12 extending radially inward and Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 14, 1910. Serial No.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

arranged in groups, there being three buttons .in each group. I prefer to use six groups, but the precise number is immaterial. Eucircling the buttons 12 are spiral spnngs 13 which extend radially inward and engage a ring 1-1 of metal. This ring is provided with buttons 15 extending radially outward and encircled by the adjacent ends of the spiral spring 13. The ring It is provided with slots 16 extending in the general direction of the plane of the ring. 1X number of spokes 17 are secured rigidly to the ring 14 and extend radially inward from the same, these spokes at their inner ends being connected with a substantially annular hub frame 18 of the form shown in Fig. 4.

At 19 is a hub plate which is connected with the hub frame 18 by aid of rivets 20. To give these rivets a good bearin where they extend through the annular hu frame 18'the latter is provided internally with thickened portions 21, having holes 22 entirely through them. The hub frame 18 is provided with buttons 23 extending radially outward from it, these buttons being ulternatcd with the inner spokes 17, as will be understood from Fig. 4. The buttons 23 are encircled by spiral springs 24 and adjacent to the springs 24 .is a ring 25. The ring 25 is provided with recesses 25, through which the inner spokes 17 extend loosely. This ring carries a number of shoes 26, each shoe being provided with a button 27. Each 'shoc 26 is further provided two walls 26 of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and between these walls is a recess for receiving the inner end of the adjacent spoke 29. Rivets 28 extend through the ring 25 and through the walls 26. The rivets 28 also extend through spokes 29, the adjacent ends of these spokes being sandwiched between the walls 26" and hold fast by the rivets, as will be understood from Fig. 3. Each spoke 29 is provided at its outer end with a foot 30, this foot being engaged by a pair of nuts 31 which are revolubly mounted upon the bolts 8 and clamp the foot firmlyagainst-the inner surface of the ring 6 corresponding to the folly.

The rings 6 and 25 are, by virtue of the outer spokes 29, always rigid relatively to each other. The ring 14 and the hub frame 18 are, because of the action of the inner spokes 17 likewise rigid relatively to each other. The inner ring 14 and the hub frame considered together, however, are as a unit movable relatively to the ring 6 and the ring st-rooted of any 25, these two last-mentioned elementslbeing rigid relatively to each other and acting as a unit.

The; metallic parts are made preferably of aluminum or of the commercial preparation sometimes designated as mac'adamite They may, however, be con-- aluminum light metal or alloy suitable for the purpose.

I do not limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement of the parts above described, the scope of my invention being commensurate witn my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

' claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In a spring wheel, the combination of an annular member serving as a felly', a pludisposed concentrically within said felly,' shoes mounted upon said annular member and provided with wide slots for receiving said flattened ends of said spokes, rivets extending through said shoes and through [said flattened ends of said spokes, sai d shoes being provided with buttons extending radially inward towardthe center of the wheel, a hub frame disposed within the approximate center of said fell and provided with buttons extending radially outward and 'matin said first-mentioned buttonsy springs -cally within said felly and provided with spaced slots, springs connecting-said ring with said telly, a second ring disposed concentrically within' the first ring, shoes carried 'by'said second ring and provided with recesses, the said second ring being provided with slots located betweenthe shoes, spokes connected rigidl at their outer ends with said felly, thesaid spokes extending through the slots in the'first mentioned ring and secured at their inner ends in the recesses in said shoes of the second ring, a hub frame, sprin connections between the hub frame and t 1e said shoes of the secomi ring", and spokes mounted rigidly upon the said huh frame between the said spring connections, the said spokes passing through the slots in the second ring and secured at their outer ends to the first mentioned ring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name t6 this specification in the two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE DORFFEL.

presence of Witnesses:

EDWARD M. SHAW, HENRY H. SHED. 

